Now You Are Truly Home
by IAmKayDubs
Summary: Peter is rescued from an abusive home, and is put up for adoption in Finland. Tino and Berwald hear of him, and decide to adopt him. Peter's past makes it hard to adjust, but Tino and Berwald are determined to help him.
1. Chapter 1

"Are you ready to go pick him up?" Berwald asks softly.

Tino swallows a lump in his throat, nodding slowly. "Yeah."

The two pile into the car, their nerves quite frayed, despite their excitement.

They drive to the adoption agency, ready to pick up the child they have decided to adopt. He's a young boy named Peter, aged at twelve years old. He was brought to an adoption agency in Finland after being rescued from an abusive family in his hometown in England.

Tino and Berwald only know the basics of what happened to Peter while at his other home. What they have been told, however, is that Peter is very guarded and frightened, and that it will be a struggle to help him adapt.

Despite all of this, Tino's and Berwald's hearts had melted at the story of the little boy needing adoption, and they decided they were up for the challenge.

It feels like a relief to them to pull into the agency parking lot once and for all. They have gone through over a year of home checks, signing papers, and other preparations, and it's finally about to pay off.

Tino's fingers tremble with anticipation as he and Berwald head for the designated spot. Berwald senses his nervousness and laces his fingers through Tino's, squeezing tightly in order to help him relax. Tino smiles softly to himself and holds on tightly.

Upon entering the agency, they are told to wait in the back by their social workers office. They sit in the hard plastic chairs, not letting go of each other's hands.

After only a few minutes, the social worker comes down the hallway. Tino and Berwald exchange a gentle glance, before standing up to greet her. They notice a small boy traipsing behind her, keeping a safe distance between him and the worker, but hiding from Tino and Berwald all the same.

"Welcome, you two. I'm sure you've been waiting for this for a while, and this is it!" The woman smooths out her well pressed skirt and smiles lightly. "This is Peter."

Peter makes no sign of moving, his face stays twisted in discomfort.

Tino releases Berwald's hand and crouches down on one knee. He extends a hand towards Peter, carefully and gently.

Peter stares at it for a while, just as he had the first time he met Tino and Berwald, however brief the meeting was. They had met one day as a part of the mandatory compatibility check, but it was clear that with Peter, nobody would be compatible on the first meeting, or even the second for that matter.

Tino puts on his best smile, hoping Peter understands that Tino doesn't want to hurt him.

Peter slowly reaches out a hand and sets it against Tino's outstretched fingers. He holds on with a loose grip, allowing Tino to shake his hand softly.

"I'm Tino, it's great to see you again, Peter." Tino speaks gently.

Berwald crouches down beside his husband. "I'm Berwald. It's good to see you." Berwald extends his own hand, hoping he isn't intimidating Peter.

Peter slowly touches Berwald's hand, nodding his hello.

"Are you ready to go to your new home, Peter?" Tino asks.

Peter stays still, but nods. "Yes..."

Tino and Berwald stand, lacing their hands together once more. They discuss final details with the social worker, and they are told they may go. Tino turns around and asks Peter to walk beside them, and he obliges, following along with his arms wrapped securely around his small torso. Tino wishes he could hold Peters hand as they walk, but he knows not to push Peter to do things he isn't comfortable with.

They head to the car once more, and Peter pulls himself into the backseat silently, resting the side of his head against the window. Berwald and Tino both wish that they could do something, but they have no clue what could help, so they leave Peter be.

Tino's mind is buzzing around as he tries to figure out ways to help Peter adjust. He doesn't know much about his past, and he doesn't know what peters interests and hobbies are... If he could find out, he could help out more, but with Peter as distant as he is... There is no good way to find out.

Tino sees that they are traveling along a road with many different food shops. "Peter? Would you like some food?"

"Yes, sir." Peter nods.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere is okay, thank you..."

"Are hamburgers okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Tino asks Berwald to pull into the nearby fast food restaurant

"You don't have to call us sir, Peter." Tino says with a gentle smile. "You can call us... Hmm... Well, I guess you can call us whatever names you want."

Peter only nods softy.

...

They finish their food in mostly silence, much to Tino's displeasure. He wants to help Peter open up, but his own sense of conversation is failing him.

Once back in the car, it only takes a few minutes for Peter to fall asleep, his bangs falling at an angle across his face, his eyelashes fluttering gently.

As they all reach home, Tino decides not to wake Peter up, considering he must be dreadfully tired. Berwald agrees, and scoops the boy into his arms as gently as he can to carry him inside. He lets peters legs droop loosely over his arms, and his head rests in the crook of his elbow.

Berwald's stands at the foot of the stairs, waiting for Tino. He glances down at Peter, smiling genuinely at his calm expression. How on earth somebody could hurt someone so sweet and gentle, Berwald does not know.

Before Tino can reach them, however, Berwald feels Peter struggling in his arms. He glances down, bewildered, too shocked to speak for a moment as Peter kicks his legs and pushes off of Berwald's chest with his tiny arms. Berwald backs away from the stairs and sets the boy lightly on his feet. Peter's face is lit up with panic and fear, and his breathing has picked up.

Berwald's face falls. "Peter, are you...-" he tries to speak, but Peter makes a beeline up the stairs.

Tino comes into the room to find Berwald standing with a hurt expression at the foot of the stairs, looking up towards Peter's room.

"What happened...?" Tino asks.

"He woke up while I tried to carry him, and he pushed out of my arms. He ran up there before I could do anything."

"Oh, Berwald... I'll go check on him, okay?"

Berwald nods as Tino hurries up the stairs.

Tino comes down after only about a minute, his hand running through his soft locks of hair.

"He found his room, and he's asleep on the bed hugging a pillow."

"Good... At least he's relaxed... He looked so scared."

"Berwald..."

Berwald just kisses Tino's forehead reassuringly, before promising to make some hot chocolate.

Tino stands in the front hall, glancing between the stairs and Berwald's retreating form. He knows that Peter being frightened by Berwald hurt him. He has always been self conscious about his ability to scare people, especially children. Despite knowing that Peter would be nervous around both of them at the start, it seems that Berwald hadn't expected such a terrified reaction.

Tino sighs as he heads for the kitchen. He can only hope that Peter will warm up to him and Berwald soon.

...

As night rolls around, the house remains silent. Peter never left his room, so Tino and Berwald are left to wait.

After a long, drawn out period of seemingly senseless waiting around, Tino excuses himself to take a shower to clear his mind.

As soon as Tino leaves, Berwald feels the self doubt and worry fall on him once again. He lets his head fall in his hands, his eyes squeezed shut.

He sits like this for twenty minutes while Tino showers, simply mulling over his thoughts. His mind keeps jumping back to Peter, shut in his room... Afraid to come out because of him.

When Tino comes around the corner, his heart sinks. Berwald is entering a state of doubt in himself, and that's never good. Tino plants himself on the couch beside Berwald and puts an arm around his waist.

"Don't beat youself up over this, Berwald..."

"I'm not."

"Berwald."

"I'm okay, I promise."

"Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset."

Tino purses his lips. It's a back and forth between them that is getting nowhere.

Meanwhile, Peter slowly creeps down the stairs, letting himself rest on the landing right before where the stairs turned. He peeks around the banister, watching as his new parents embrace on the couch. Peter keeps out of their view, but he listens intently to their conversation.

"Berwald, you have to understand that this is going to take time."

Berwald sighs. "I know that... I just... I'm worried. I don't want him to feel uncomfortable."

"I know Berwald... Neither of us want that, but it's hard for him, as you know. He's gone through a lot, it's going to take a while for him to warm up to us."

"I understand... Honestly, I do. I just don't want him to be frightened. Even if he wants to keep his distance for a while, I'll understand, but I don't want him to be afraid of me..."

"Berwald, I know... We just have to stay strong, especially for him."

Berwald nods, letting himself sink into Tino's embrace even further.

Peter crosses his arms against his chest, looking away shamefully. _"I've only been here a day, and I've already messed up," _Peter thinks. He's already managed to hurt someone else's feelings. He doesn't mean it of course, he would love to jump right in and be a part of a perfect family, but it isn't that easy for him.

Peter stands up slowly, treading down the stairs as lightly as possible. He stands in the main hall, his face down but his eyes looking up at his parents through the tips of his bangs.

Tino gently pulls himself away of Berwald's hold, approaching Peter slowly.

Tino extends a hand. "Hey there, Peter. Do you need anything?"

"I'm... I'm a bit hungry... May I have some food?"

"Of course, Peter! No problem, what would you like?"

"Anything is okay."

Tino nods and scurries off to the kitchen, searching around for something Peter might like. Peter pulls himself up onto one of the barstools slowly, hoping he is allowed.

"Is some pasta okay? We have plenty of spaghetti."

"That's fine... Thank you."

Tino smiles warmly and begins to boil some water. Peter idly kicks his feet, watching his toes as they wiggle around.

What seems like only a few minutes later, Peter jumps at the sound of clinking in front of him. He glances up slowly to see Tino smiling as he places a bowl of spaghetti in front of him, with a glass of apple juice on the side.

Tino wipes his hand on a towel as he turns away, hearing Peter munch hungrily on the pasta. Despite it being a very little gesture, Peter coming down and staying to eat food gives Tino even more hope for their future.

...

The second day goes by well. The family stays inside, but Peter doesn't lock himself in his room. Instead, he watches TV, sitting on the floor in front of the couch while Tino and Berwald sit behind him, despite his parents invitation to sit on the couch.

They all eat dinner at the table that night, and while Peter remains mostly silent, Berwald and Tino definitely count it as an achievement.

...

The next day goes by even more smoothly. All three family members go to the pet store to look at the animals for adoption, and they all fall in love with a small, white, fluff ball of a dog. After checking to make sure Peter is okay with it, they decide to adopt her. With Tino's help, Peter comes up with the name Hanatamago, and despite how odd the name is, it fits.

As they drive home, Hana sits in Peter's lap. As he absently strokes her fur, he smiles for the first time since reaching his new home, and Tino and Berwald are overjoyed.

...

The next three days are spent welcoming Hanatamago into the family. Peter makes the suggestion of going to the dog park on the first day, and my they all love it so much that they go the two days after that.

Hana grows especially attached to Peter. She takes special interest in making sure she can lick his face every morning, afternoon, and evening, not that Peter really minds.

Peter begins to socialize more, as well. It's not much more, mind you, but it is surely an improvement. He begins sitting on the end of the couch, provided that Hana can sit in his lap. He is more vocal in expressing his needs and wishes, much to Tino and Berwald's pleasure. When Peter doesn't tell them what he needs, it turns into an endless guessing game between the two parents, and it goes nowhere.

Before anyone even knows it, the week is basically over, and Peter has managed to improve. He is still nervous around Tino and Berwald, and he doesn't liked being touched, but besides that he has moved forward greatly.

...

Then four days later, the worst of it comes.

...

Berwald and Tino are woken late into the night by a terrible scream. They shoot up in bed, and exchange nervous glances hurriedly as they scramble out of bed. Berwald doesn't even have time to grab his glasses, so he stumbles a bit as the two race up the stairs towards Peters room.

They fling open the door to find Peter curled in on himself, screaming as loud as his little body probably could. Tears stream down his face and he trembles beneath the tangled up blankets.

The two parents run to his beside, Tino untangling the covers, and Berwald trying to relax Peter.

Tino sits facing Peters back, while Berwald is faced with his front facing him. Berwald is desperate to help Peter, so he rubs his shoulder soothingly, and brushes the hair out of Peters eyes whenever it sticks together on his forehead.

"Peter... Hey, Peter, can you hear me? Peter, please wake up."

"Peter, we're here. Tino and Berwald are here, right beside you, you don't need to be scared." Tino chimes in softly, as he rubs circles on Peters back.

Berwald glances up desperately at Tino, unsure of what else to do. Peter slows his screams, but he continues to let out sharp shrieks of distress, and his breaths are heavy and forced.

Berwald bites his lip, and against his better judgement, he scoops Peter into his arms again. He scoots onto the bed, his legs criss crossed, and Peter curled in a trembling ball on his lap. Since it is a double bed, Tino climbs in beside him and strokes Peters hair, hoping he will relax.

Much to both parents surprise, it's only about a minute before Peter stops letting out noises of distress. His breathing is still frantic, but it is gradually slowing down.

Peters eyes snap open. He is immediately consumed with fear, as his nightmare seems to be taking a real life turn. As he blinks and adjusts his eyes to the dark, however, he notices that the people with him are not in fact his birth parents, but Tino and Berwald...

They watch him intently, and despite feeling a gentle embrace, his nightmare still tugs at his mind. He feels himself getting scratch after scratch, bruise after bruise. Every time he shuts his eyes, he sees his grotesque birth parents looming over him, belts and brawny hands at the ready.

Peter whimpers to himself, almost forgetting that he is no longer in that cold house, he is with Tino and Berwald, two parents that actually love him. With every soft whimper, he hears Tino and Berwald whispering softly, "it's okay, you're okay, it's fine..."

Peter makes the mistake of letting his eyes stay shut for too long, and the images come back at full speed, rushing at his closed eyelids. In a state of panic, his body stiffens and shoots up, and he grips on to Berwald's shirt, burying his face in his chest.

"Papa... I'm scared." Peter says.

Berwald looks down in shock, his heart swelling. He nods quickly and pulls Peter into a hug, letting Peters fingers dig into the fabric of his shirt.

Peters tears start up again, but he holds on tightly to Berwald's shirt and begs for them to stop.

"Peter, it's okay, everything will be okay..." Berwald whispers soothingly.

Peter nods against Berwald's chest.

"Peter, I'm going to go get you something to drink, okay? I'm going to hand you to Tino."

Peter nods, loosening his grip on Berwald's shirt, only to grip onto Tino's shirt as soon as he can. Tino holds him like a baby, despite his size, and rocks him slightly.

As Berwald goes downstairs to the kitchen, Tino speaks softly. "You had a nightmare, didn't you...?"

Peter nods slowly.

"Those are terrible, aren't they? I had them a lot a few years back... They're scary."

"I dreamt of my old parents... They hurt me so bad..."

Tino's heart constricts as Peter mumbles on.

"Oh, Peter..." Tino says, holding Peter a bit tighter. "We will protect you here, you know that, right? We won't dare hurt you."

"I know... I love it here... Thank you, daddy..."

Tino feels small tears dripping down his face. He presses a gentle kiss to Peters forehead, just as Berwald returns with a glass of water. Peter pulls himself up slowly to sit in Tino's lap, taking the water gratefully and nearly chugging it down.

"Feeling better, Peter?" Berwald asks softly.

Peter nods, his eyes heavy with tiredness.

"Would you like to sleep in our bed with us, to keep the nightmares away?" Tino suggests.

Peter nods, allowing Tino to scoop him up. Peters arms drape around Tino's neck, and his legs cling around Tino's hips. He holds on as tightly as he can, wishing he didn't ever have to let go.

Once downstairs, Peter is placed in the middle of the big king sized bed, in the middle of Tino and Berwald. He snuggles into the blankets, and his eyes droop shut drearily.

Before he falls asleep, however, he murmurs one last thing.

"I love you papa... I love you daddy..."

A/N: This was a bit of an experiment, I'll be honest, but besides the beginning being a bit slow, I think it turned out okay? I haven't written the Hanatamago family before, so I hope I did Peter justice (and I hope his attitude and demeanor are accurate for his situation.)

Feel free to leave feedback if there is anything I can do better!

Also, this is a prompt from Otpprompts!

Anyways, I do hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you for reading!

-KayDubs


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks pass since that night Peter had the nightmare. August rolls around, and that means it's time for Peter to start school.

Peter dreads the day he will have to start school again. Despite always having done well academically, school was always a place Peter loathed. The kids were rude, and some of the teachers disliked Peter for reasons even he didn't know. Overall, he didn't like the way school made him feel.

When the first day of school arrives, Peters stomach ties itself in knots, flip-flopping all over the places.

He sat at the table, kicking his feet nervously, sucking down a glass of orange juice. He tapped his fingers incessantly against the wood of the table, his whole hand trembling.

He pulls himself out of the chair and began pacing around the bottom floor of the house, unable to do anything else to distract himself.

Tino comes around the corner quickly, still in his pajama pants and tee shirt. He stops short when he sees Peter nervously pacing around the house, his face down and scrunched up in discomfort.

"Peter? What's wrong?" Tino asks.

"I don't want to go to school, Daddy."

Tino frowns slightly. "Why not?"

"I don't like it... The kids are always so rude..."

Tino sighs sympathetically, moving towards Peter and getting down on one knee in front of him.

"Peter, I know it's scary, but school is important..."

"I know... I do fine in school, but the kids always tease me and call me names. It's so mean, I hate it so much."

"Oh, Peter, I know kids can be rude, but you'll be okay..." Tino says softly. "You'll make it through, I know you will."

A tiny smile grows on to Peters face. "How do you know?"

"'Cause you're strong! You're just like a Viking. You know, like the ones Berwald and I tell you about in those Nordic stories?"

Peter nods, his smile growing slightly.

"You're just like a strong Viking, I know you can make it."

Peter face breaks into an all out grin, throwing his arms around Tino. "Thank you."

Tino scoops Peter up and hugs him tightly, wondering how he got so lucky to get such a wonderful son. "Any time, Peter." Tino kisses his forehead.

Just as Tino sets Peter down, Berwald comes into the room, with a crisp white dress shirt and a sleek red tie. He smiles at Peter, who flashes him a grin right back.

"I'm a Viking, papa."

Berwald's mouth curves up in amusement. "Are you now?"

Peter nods. "I'm not a very good one yet, 'cause I'm still a bit scared, but I think I can make it though school!"

Berwald nods approvingly. "Good boy, Peter," Berwald smiles. "You'll do great."

Tino glances out he window and sees the bus coming up the street. "Peter, the bus is almost here."

Peter nods, and Berwald leans down to kiss his cheek.

Peter waves behind him, a bit nervously, as he runs down the driveway towards the bus. Tino and Berwald are both smiling widely as he climbs the bus steps.

...

Despite all of Tino's reassuring, Peter returns that afternoon with his face scrunched up sadly, close to tears.

Tino opens the door with a smile at first, but when he sees Peters face, he immediately begins to frown. Peter sulks as he drags his feet through the door, and he takes a seat on the bottom step.

Tino goes to his side and takes a seat next to him.

"What happened, Peter...?"

"I was right... All of the kids hated me..."

"Oh, Peter..."

"They made fun of me all day! They made fun of my clothes, my accent, and the fact that I'm adopted... And because I have two dads..."

Tino's heart sinks. A part of him had worried about that very thing happening, but he had hoped if it ever happened, it wouldn't happen as soon as it did.

Tino put an arm around Peter, allowing Peter to lean into him. "I'm so sorry, Peter..."

"I don't want to go back..."

"Peter, you need to go to school..."

"I don't want to go through that again... They're so mean."

"I know that they can be mean, sweetie, but what I said about you being strong is still true. You're stronger than they are."

"I don't think so..."

"I do. I know you are Peter, you've been strong your whole life."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not. I made a promise before we made any attempt at adopting a kid that I wouldn't lie to them to or make false promises. I'm telling you the truth."

"I'm still scared..."

"I don't doubt that. Life can be scary... But it's all worth it."

Peter opens his mouth to speak, but he is interrupted by Berwald coming in the front door.

"Hey, I'm back-" Berwald's face grows somber. "What happened?"

"All the other kids made fun of me." Peter says. "I don't want to go back..."

Berwald takes a seat on the floor in front of the steps where Peter and Tino sit. "I'm going to tell you a story, okay Peter?"

Peter nods, a bit unsure.

"I felt the exact same way when I went to school. I was made fun of all the time in middle school and high school, for a number of things. They made fun of my voice, my height, and the fact that I was gay. They hardly ever let up. In eighth grade, I got to the point where I felt the same way as you do now. I didn't want to go to school, I didn't think it was worth it." Berwald sighs lightly. "Despite all of that, I went to school anyway, and I met a boy who became my best friend."

"Who?" Peter asks.

Berwald smiles lightly and nods towards Tino. "Him."

Tino smiles, his eyes lighting up.

Peters eyes go a bit wide as he begins to understand. He waits for Berwald to continue.

"Tino and I became the closest of friends, and he was always there for me when I needed him. Whenever I didn't want to go to school, I would just remind myself that he would be there, and it would inspire me to go." Berwald loses himself a bit in the memory. "Eventually, we began dating, and he became my entire world. And ten years later, here we are."

Peter smiles as he glances back at Tino, who is smiling widely, but also fighting back prickling tears of joy.

"So, you see what I'm saying? If I had given up, I wouldn't have ever met Tino. We wouldn't have gotten married, and we would have never adopted you." Berwald gives Peter a tiny smile. "I know I sound like a huge cheese ball right now, but what I'm saying is true. If you give up now, you might miss out on meeting someone truly amazing."

Peter manages to grin. "I understand. I'll try making it work, okay?"

"Good. That's all we want. We just want you to be happy." Tino says.

"Well, I am! I really like living here."

"I'm glad, Peter. We love having you here. Having a kid has been a dream of ours for so long, and we couldn't have asked for a better child." Berwald says.

"And I couldn't have asked for better parents!"

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope this chapter works out like I hoped! (Despite it maybe being a bit _too _cheesy?) I hadn't originally planned on making this a chapter fic, but I found that A) I really like writing for the Hanatama family, and B) People seemed to like the idea, so hey, why not continue?

I wrote outlines for this story (I'm though chapter 4) so hopefully I'll be able to write chapters quicker. Usually, with fan fiction, I just rely on very basic outlines in my head. Hopefully concrete outlines will make it faster!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Stick around for more if you did, and thanks for reading!

-KayDubs


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Ella is my name for Wy. I couldn't find an official human name for her, so I decided on Ella.

So, as promised, Peter works up the courage to go to school the next day.

Before he leaves, Tino hugs him tight, telling him to stay strong.

Peter swears that he will, and he runs off to meet the bus once again.

Once at school, Peter feels much smaller than he ever did before. Waves of people push past him as he tries to make it to his first class, and he finds himself flinching every time someone bumps him the wrong way.

He makes his way to first period, taking his seat and doodling on a piece of paper while he waits for class to start.

He feels something hit the back on his head with a light thud. He sighs, as he realizes that is the start of a long day of torment.

Peter turns his head slightly to see a boy sitting behind him with a sneer on his meaty face.

"What? Problem? Are you going to run home crying to your two daddies? Oh, boo hoo!" The boy makes mocking sobs.

Peter wants to say something, but he is cut off by firm yet tiny sounding footsteps coming towards him.

"'Ey! Why don't you leave the kid alone?" A girl stands with her hands on her hips, standing near Peter, shooting daggers at the boy behind him.

"Huh? Why don't you make me, princess?"

Apparently this girl doesn't back away from a challenge. She darts forward, her side ponytail of curls bouncing, and cuffs the boy on the head.

He reels back, rage on his face. "Alright, you've done it now!" He pushes out of his seat, lunging at the girl, but she steps away quickly, allowing him to trip and stumble on the floor. Peter watches in awe, a part of him worried it would escalate. He silently hopes the teacher will come in to stop them.

The girl stands back, folding her arms across her chest and grinning smugly. "Leave the kid alone, 'kay? Or you'll get even more trouble from me, got it?"

The boy picks himself off of the floor, glaring at the girl, but he returns to his seat without a word.

The girl gives a wicked smirk, seemingly very proud of her power over the boy. She turns to Peter, dropping her smile and returning to a normal expression.

"You alright, kid?"

"Uh... Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks."

"Not a problem! I'm Ella. Who might you be?"

"I'm Peter."

"Peter, huh? You don't sound Finnish, where are you from?"

"England. I got put in an adoption agency here, and I got adopted recently," Peter says lightly. "You don't sound Finnish either..."

"I'm not, I'm from Australia! I just moved here recently."

"Cool... Do you enjoy it?"

"So far it's fine. I don't like the cold much though. I'm more suited for warm weather."

"I see... Anyways, thanks again for your help. That was really nice of you."

"Like I said, it's no problem. I've been bullied plenty before, and it sucks, so now I fight back against other peoples bullies."

Peter moves to speak, but the teacher comes rushing into the room, looking a bit frantic. As she apologizes for being late, Ella shoots Peter a parting look as she moves to her seat across the room.

...

For the rest of the day, Ella sticks to Peter like glue whenever she can. They share three of four classes, so she makes sure to hang around him whenever there is a chance. She sits with him at lunch as well, chatting on and on about all sorts of things. It may seem like it would be annoying, but Peter couldn't be happier. Having a friend is one of the one things he wants from school, and now he has one.

As Peter steps off of the bus, he waves at Ella, who grins right back.

Tino watches from the house as Peter comes up the driveway, and he is relieved to see Peter smiling widely.

Peter opens the door, a smile still lingering on his face, as he puts down his backpack and takes off his shoes.

"It's seems that today went better? If your face is any indication." Tino asks with a small smile.

"Yeah, it did! I met this girl named Ella, and we're becoming friends already. She's super nice, and she isn't all prissy, she's actually really strong. She protected me from one of the guys bullying me."

"That's great to hear, Peter! I'm glad it went well. Berwald will be happy to hear about it as well, when he gets home."

Peter nods quickly and excuses himself to do his homework. Tino heads for the kitchen, smiling to himself. He's just glad that Peter won't have to suffer in school. Tino knows very well that having just one friend can make all the difference.

...

About six weeks go by without a hitch. Peter and Ella continue to spend as much time together as possible, and Ella sometimes comes home with Peter to work on homework. Tino and Berwald can only watch with light smiles, knowing that Ella is a very good thing for Peter.

One day at school, Peter sits in his usual seat in second period, but he is bored today, for Ella isn't in class. The day before, she had told him she had a dentist appointment, so that meant she would be out for the first two classes.

Peter is drawn out of his dazed state by a voice calling his name. Peter's head snaps up, and he finds the teacher holding the phone in to her shoulder as she calls for him.

"Peter? Your dad is in the office, you need to go for early dismissal."

Peter nods, a bit confused. Why would he be pulled out of school early? He gathers his books and heads for the door. As he walks past a row of kids, he hears someone make a snide remark about figuring out which dad would be picking him up, but Peter brushes it off.

Peter heads for the office, finding Berwald standing by the counter with his face stoic, but his eyes nervous.

"Papa? What's going on?"

Berwald looks up with a hardened yet clearly distressed look.

"Peter, Tino is in the hospital, we need to go now."

Peter feels his entire world crumbling. Tino... In the hospital? Why? Berwald seems upset, so it might be something really bad...

Peter only nods meekly, letting Berwald put his hand on his back gently as he is led out of the school, into the car, and to the hospital.

As they enter the antiseptic ridden hospital, Peter feels a burning fear eating away at him. He hadn't been able to find words in the car, but as Berwald leads him towards the elevator, he speaks up softly.

"Papa... Is daddy going to be okay? What happened to him?"

Berwald sighs softly. "Tino was in a car wreck this afternoon. I don't know how bad it is, but I do know he has to have surgery soon."

"So, daddy will be okay...?"

Berwald seems to almost hesitate, but he does answer. "Yes. He'll be just fine, Peter. Don't worry."

Peter nods his head weakly, and Berwald points out Tino's room as they step out of the elevator. As they approach, Berwald slowly opens the door, letting himself relax as he sees Tino sitting up feebly in the bed, smiling at them.

Berwald and Peter go to his bedside, their expressions gentle.

Berwald bends down to give Tino a kiss, and he whispers something that Peter doesn't quite catch. Whatever it is, it makes Tino smile.

Tino turns his head very slightly to look at Peter. "Peter, honey, how are you?"

"I'm good... are you feeling okay, daddy?"

Tino's eyes soften. "I'm doing okay. My knee hurts, and I have a few bruises, but other than that I'm okay."

"So, you aren't going to die... Right?" Peter asks.

"No, sweetheart, of course not. It's only a knee injury, I'll do just fine. I just have to get it repaired in surgery, and then it will heal."

Peter nods slowly. "Good... I don't want to lose you."

Tino reaches his hand out feebly, grabbing at Peter's much smaller hand with his fingers. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Peter manages a real smile, as he twists his hand to grab into Tino's fingers, holding on tightly. He is still immensely worried, but he doesn't want to let his parents know, for he doesn't want to stress them out even more.

Berwald speaks up after a moment.

"Peter, I need to get you home, Tino's surgery will be soon."

Peter agrees, allowing himself to be pulled towards his daddy, as Tino tugs on his hand. Tino reaches over the side of the bed and kisses Peter's forehead lightly.

"I love you, Peter." Tino says softly, smiling at Peter gently.

Peter swallows a heavy lump in his throat. "I love you too, daddy..."

Berwald leans down and presses a kiss to Tino's lips. Berwald's hand finds Tino's hand and wraps around it, squeezing it for just a second, before saying goodbye and turning to leave with Peter.

Peter is silent on the drive home. Fear is eating away at him, because despite Tino's reassurance, something makes him worry.

When they get home, Berwald wordlessly goes to his bedroom to change. As soon as he is changed into casual clothes, he goes to the living room, taking a seat beside Peter.

"Hey, Peter?"

"Yes, papa?"

"Would you mind if someone else came over to take care of you for a while?"

Peter's face pales. He doesn't like letting strange adults stay with him alone. He is fine if Berwald or Tino were there with him, but letting a new person stay with him alone...

"Why...?"

"I need to go to the hospital to wait for Tino to come out of surgery. I don't want you to have to wait around the hospital with me, and I don't think you should stay here alone."

"Who is it...?"

"Tino's friend, Arthur. He's a man from England who is living here for a while with his boyfriend, Alfred. He said he could come take care of you tonight."

Peter thinks it over. He trusts Tino and Berwald, so if they say this Arthur guy is safe... He must be okay... Even so, the thought makes him anxious.

But Berwald needs to be with Tino when his surgery is done. Peter doesn't want to stop Berwald from being there, as Peter hates to think that Tino could be alone after surgery, and it would be his fault.

"Yeah. That'll be fine."

"Thank you, Peter." Berwald kisses Peter's forehead.

Peter manages to smile lightly as Berwald excuses himself to call Arthur.

...

A/N: Alrighty, another chapter done! It really makes it easier when I have the outline, I'm able to pump out chapters wayyy faster.

So, we see that things are starting to heat up. You didn't think I could keep this story fluffy and sweet forever, did you? ;) I have to get some angst and emotion in there eventually!

Despite that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and this story! Chapter 4 will be coming soon!

Thanks for reading!

-KayDubs


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur shows up about half an hour later, just as expected.

However, he has someone else with him. Another man stands behind Arthur, a smile on his face, seemingly excited about something.

Arthur stands in the doorway, whispering something to Berwald.

"Alfred wanted to come along with me... Will Peter be okay with that?"

Berwald nods slowly. "I think so... As long as he doesn't feel threatened, I think he should be okay..."

Arthur nods, stepping inside, Alfred on his heels.

"Peter?" Berwald calls.

Peter comes into the room cautiously, his blue eyes a bit wide and nervous, despite his attempts to stay calm.

Berwald goes to Peter, kisses his forehead, and tells him goodbye. He waves slightly at Arthur and Alfred as he passes through the doorway. It shuts behind him, and Peter flinches slightly as he realizes he is alone with two new, strange men.

Arthur crouches on to one knee. "Hello there, Peter. I'm Arthur Kirkland. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Peter nods, extending his hand slowly. Arthur shakes it gently, smiling.

"Hey, little dude! I'm Alfred." Alfred crouches down and extends a hand. Peter takes a tiny step back, but shakes Alfred's hand anyway.

"Peter, are you hungry? Should I cook something-" Arthur starts, but is quickly cut off my Alfred.

"No way, we are not burning down Tino's house. If Peter wants food, I'll be making it."

"My cooking is not that bad."

"Babe, you know I love you, but you are a terrible chef."

Arthur shakes his head slightly, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Peter do you need anything?"

"I'm okay, thank you, sir." Peter says quietly.

"You okay, little dude?" Alfred asks, bending down slightly. Before Arthur can tell him no, Alfred picks Peter up. Peters eyes go wide at the sudden contact, and he kicks his feet, trying to push off of Alfred's chest with his hands.

Arthur grabs Alfred's wrist, pushing it downwards. "Put Peter down."

Alfred agrees, a bit shocked by Peters reaction. Alfred only wanted to comfort the kid, he didn't mean to hurt him or scare him,

When peters feet touch the ground, he takes a few steps back, distancing himself from Alfred.

Arthur furrows his brow, pulling Alfred off to the side.

"You can't be doing things like that, Alfred. Peter grew up in a home with abusive parents, he doesn't do well with new adults. This is a very scary situation for him..." Arthur says, his voice low. "It's my fault for not explaining everything earlier, and I'm sorry."

Alfred's heart constricts, as he realizes exactly what just happened. "An abusive family?"

Arthur nods.

Alfred lowers his gaze. "Peter, I'm so sorry. I didn't know... I didn't mean to scare you."

Peter looks up, but he can't find the right words.

"Honestly... I really should be more careful... I had an abusive family member as well, you'd think if know better."

Peter looks at Alfred curiously, speaking up cautiously. "You did?"

Alfred nods, sitting down on the floor, his legs crossed. He invites Peter to sit as well, if he wanted. After a moment, Peter nods to himself and sits in front of Alfred. Arthur takes a spot beside his boyfriend.

"My dad died a bit after I was born, so it was just me and my mom growing up. However, she decided to start dating again when I was about six. Most of her boyfriends were fine, but when I was about ten, this one guy that she really seemed to like came around... He beat me all the time, for the dumbest things... It went on like that for about two years, until my mom discovered what was really happening. She dumped him immediately."

Peter nods slowly. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize to me, Peter. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I really didn't mean to act so boldly. I just get really rambunctious around kids, because I love taking care of them, and I want kids of my own one day... I'm sorry I scared you, I really am."

Peter pauses, but he looks at the earnest look on Alfred's face, and decides that he is safe. "It's okay..."

Alfred smiles lightly. "Thank you."

...

The day continues on, with Arthur and Alfred as Peters temporary caretakers. Eventually the day turns to night, and the three lounge around watching TV. Peter has become comfortable enough with Arthur and Alfred to sit on the couch with them, though he takes the end seat. He keeps hanging on to the fact that Tino and Berwald trust these people... If they didn't, Peter would not either.

Eventually, Peter falls asleep, his head slumping to the left, right on to Alfred's arm.

Alfred looks down at Peter fondly, hoping that one day he can have a kid that he can spend every day and night with, caring for and loving them.

After a moment, Alfred pulls his head up to look at Arthur, who is watching the whole scene. "What should I do? Should I bring him to bed or wake him up...?"

"Try carrying him to bed. I think he's comfortable enough with you to be carried."

Alfred slowly, carefully, scoops up Peter into his arms, treading cautiously as he heads for the stairs. When Peter is safe in his bed, Alfred returns downstairs, the smile on his face enough to make Arthur feel beyond guilty for holding Alfred back when it came to having kids...

...

The next morning, Peter crawls out of bed and heads downstairs, searching for Berwald, hoping he would be back from the hospital.

He finds Berwald sitting at the kitchen table, a coffee cup in one hand, the other supporting his head as he stares down at the table.

"Papa?"

Berwald picks his head up and manages a tiny smile. "Good morning, Peter."

"How's daddy?"

"He's fine. The knee surgery went well."

Peter frowns. If everything is totally okay, why isn't Berwald more upbeat...? He must be holding something back.

"Did something else happen?"

"Hmm? No, nothing else happened."

Peter can tell that Berwald is lying through his teeth.

"Papa, tell me what happened... I can tell when you're lying to me."

Berwald's face stays nearly expressionless as he looks at Peter once again. "Listen, Peter, everything will be fine. There was a problem, but it will all work out."

Peters frown grows deeper. "Papa, please tell me what happened! I'm scared for daddy, and hiding something about his health is making it worse." Peter had stepped closer to the table, now standing about a foot from Berwald.

Berwald sighs, taking a sip of coffee.

"While the doctors were operating, they found that Tino's breathing was irregular. They checked his lungs, and they saw some damage. He has to have another surgery this afternoon."

Peter feels his heart sinking, his stomach twisting in knots. "How bad will it be...?"

"It's not the least risky surgery in the world..." Berwald says, unable to say more about the details without wanting to break down.

Peter steps closer to Berwald, his blue eyes wide with a mix of fear and deep distress. Berwald scoops Peter into his lap, hugging him tightly, for the comfort of both of them.

Peter pulls his head back and looks at Berwald, barely able to meet his fathers eyes.

"Daddy is going to live... Right?"

Berwald feels his bottom lip twitch, and his throat closes up.

"Honestly?" Berwald asks softly.

Peter nods slowly, his own throat burning.

"I don't know..."

* * *

A/N: Whew! That got really emotional, really quickly, didn't it? Even with the chapter outlines I didn't realize how much of a shift the ending was from everything else, so I hope it's not too upsetting or disengaging.

I said things were heating up in the last chapter, but it's more accurate to say that about this chapter, I think...

Speaking of the last chapter, I managing to post two days in a row! Mainly that's just because I had finished chapter three about two or three days ago, but just got around to posting it last night, but even so, that's a first for my chapter fics, I'm usually really slow at updating :/

Anyways, I hope you are enjoying/have enjoyed this story! Thanks for reading!

-KayDubs


	5. Chapter 5

Peter goes back to school the Monday after finding out about Tino's second surgery, and it is clear to almost anyone that he is not the same as he usually is.

This is painfully noticeable to Ella, who frowns almost as soon as she sees Peter walk into the school building. Usually he is relaxed, sometimes daydreaming, a slight smile on his face, or otherwise not overly concerned with anything.

Today, however, Ella notices a hollowness in his eyes. The usual bright blue seems to lack it's normal shine, and Ella finds it extremely concerning. She heads straight for Peter's locker so she can be there when he arrives at it.

Peter walks up and tries to force a smile, but it comes off as weak and very faked. "Hey, Ella."

"Hey..." Ella says, before lowering her voice. "Is everything okay? You seem very upset..."

Peter shakes his head. "I'm fine, I'm just tired."

Ella is not convinced. "Come on, Peter, you don't look yourself at all. What happened?"

"I promise, I'm okay..." Peter insists, but Ella can hear his voice cracking.

"Please, Peter, tell me what's going on. It worries me to see you like this..."

Peter sighs. "Tino is in the hospital... He got some really bad injuries in a car crash... I'm so scared, I'm afraid he is going to die..."

Ella puts an arm around Peter, sighing softly. "I'm sorry, Peter... I know that doesn't really help anything, but I don't know what to say. I am so sorry about Tino..."

Peter subconsciously moves closer to Ella, not minding her arm around him at all. "I just... I can't even consider losing him... Him and Berwald saved me, and I can't imagine Tino leaving us so soon..."

"I know, Peter, it's scary... If there is anything I can do, let me know. I'll always do my best to help you, understand?"

Peter nods. "Thank you, Ella."

...

When Peter goes home, he is faced with Arthur and Alfred.

"Where's papa...?"

"Berwald left for the hospital, Tino is going into surgery," Arthur says softly.

Peter feels the bile in his stomach swishing around painfully, causing him to sink down to the floor, gripping at the carpet to try and rid himself of his stomach ache.

Alfred goes to Peter, crouching in front of him, his expression heavy with concern.

"Peter? Hey, are you okay?"

Peter shuts his eyes, trying to block out the pain, as he shakes his head slightly. Before Alfred or Arthur can question him further, he sprints upstairs towards his bathroom. He throws up everything he has eaten all day, making his throat burn.

He sits back against the wall in front of the toilet, breathing in and out slowly, trying to relax himself.

Arthur and Alfred run upstairs, their faces scrunching in worry when they see Peter against the wall, his breaths heavy.

"Should we go to the doctor...?" Arthur asks slowly.

Peter shakes his head. "No... I'm not sick, I'm just worried... Terrified, more like..."

Arthur offers to help Peter to his feet, to which Peter accepts, standing on shaky legs. He has to cling to Arthur's arm with one hand as they walk to his bedroom, where Peter lays down on his bed.

Arthur and Alfred tell him to shout if he needs anything, and Peter nods as they take their leave.

Peter wishes he could just sleep, because sleep means forgetting for just a little bit, but no sleep comes. He's certainly tired, but he can't get his brain to shut up.

He lays there for about two hours until he trudges down the stairs. He finds Arthur on the phone, his face relaxed.

"Really? That's good, Alfred and Peter will be glad to hear that. Thanks, Berwald." Arthur hangs up the phone, brightening as he sees Peter.

"Good news, Peter. Tino is out of surgery and everything is looking good. The surgery went fine, and Tino is resting right now. Berwald's staying with him still."

For once, news about Tino makes his stomach feel lighter, instead of heavier. He smiles, the first real one in a while. "Good! He's going to be okay...!"

Arthur smiles along with him.

"Hey, if you want food, Alfred is making some Mac and cheese, since apparently I'm banned from your kitchen."

Peter chuckles and nods, heading for the kitchen. Alfred serves him a bowl of mac and cheese, and Peter shovels it down hungrily.

The rest of the night is relaxed and carefree. The news of Tino's successful surgery makes the mood much lighter.

At around eight thirty, Peter goes to change into pajamas. As he heads up the stairs, Arthur's phones rings again. By the time he answers it, Peter is out of earshot.

Peter changes into sweatpants and a different tee shirt, and returns downstairs.

What he doesn't expect is Arthur and Alfred waiting for him on the couch, their eyes a bit wide and their expressions quite grim.

Peter feels the heaviness settling in again.

"What's wrong...?" Peter asks.

"Tino's health declined rapidly, about an hour after the surgery. His heart rate sped up, and now he is unconscious... The doctors think he could stay like that for a while... They think it's a coma," Arthur says softly, his voice hoarse.

Peters head begins pounding. He bites down on his tongue to try avoiding tears.

"Take me to the hospital."

"Peter, I don't think now is a good time... Shouldn't we wait until tomorrow?"

Peter shakes his head fiercely. "No. I don't care if the doctors think it's just a coma, my daddy might die... If he dies without me getting to see him... I couldn't..." Peter breaks off, unable to say more without his voice catching in his throat.

Arthur looks to Alfred, who gives a tiny nod.

"Okay, come on Peter. I'll text Berwald and tell him we are coming."

Peter nods, practically racing to the car. The whole drive there, Peter fears showing up there to find his daddy in a body bag...

* * *

A/N: I'm realizing these chapters look long in the outlines, but they really aren't that long in the actual chapter... I might have to start making them longer, I don't know... I think adding two chapters into one would make them too long. We'll see. (On the plus side, shorter chapters makes it so I can upload almost daily. I wrote this entire chapter in one night, so if they are all this short I think I can stay on a daily schedule, at least until school starts next week! Then I'm not sure how much time I'll have.)

Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this story! I love reading all of the reviews that I've been getting, so thank you very much! (Also thanks to all of the favorites and follows!)

Thanks for reading!

-KayDubs


	6. Chapter 6

When Arthur and Alfred arrive at the hospital with Peter, Peter is as terrified as people come. He is much more terrified than any twelve year old should ever have to be.

When Arthur opens the door to Tino's room, Peter feels his already pounding heart constricting and beating faster.

Tino lays in the bed, limp, hooked up to machines. His skin is paler than Peter remembers...

Berwald approaches them, his feet shuffling sluggishly, and his face lacking all emotion. He greets the three, but Peter hardly hears him. He goes to Tino's bedside, feeling his throat start to burn.

He tries to stay strong. He really does... But he can't help himself. He feels hot tears burning as they fall from his eyes, and he feels his hands shaking. He reaches his hand out and grabs Tino's hand, holding on tightly and trying to pretend that everything is okay, and that Tino is just holding his hand while they cross a busy street...

"Daddy... Please, wake up!" Peter pleads. "I don't want you to die, daddy... You can't..."

Peter's head lowers, the tears falling faster and faster.

Peter feels someone pulling him back, into a tight hug. He instantly recognizes Berwald, lifting him up into his arms, holding him securely. Peter's arms fall around Berwald's neck, holding on as tightly as he can. Peter feels Berwald's body shaking tightly, and he realizes that his papa is crying too.

Berwald sinks to the floor, still hugging Peter, his shirt starting to become dotted with tears. Peter sits in his lap, crying, begging for Tino to be okay.

Every bit of pain that either person has been feeling, but has never shared, is being spilled out right there. Every fear that Peter never vocalized, for fear of stressing out Berwald even more, is being expressed right in that moment. Every regret Berwald has about not having comforted Peter more during this scary time, it's all being made up for.

Arthur and Alfred are heartbroken just watching that scene. They know they can do nothing but stand back and wait for it to be over. Alfred grips Arthur's hand and adverts his gaze, not wanting to see Peter and Berwald in so much pain...

After around five long minutes of choked back sobs and streaming tears, Berwald and Peter start to relax. Peter still clutches on to Berwald's shirt, just like he had the night of his terrible nightmare after having just arrived at his new home.

Berwald speaks softly to Peter, his voice scratchier than usual. "Peter... We should get home... Let's tell Tino goodbye for now... We can come see him again tomorrow."

Peter nods, but only barely. He allows himself to be pulled up by Berwald, and he leans against his papa as a support. Berwald whispers his goodbye, brushing Tino's bangs back with his large hand. Peter grabs Tino's hand with his own, only able to hold his fingers.

"Daddy... Please come back..." Peter whispers.

Berwald scoops Peter back into his arms, holding him securely. He approaches Arthur and Alfred, who have taken a seat in plastic chairs by the door, their hands laced together.

"I'm sorry we've kept you here... Thank you for watching Peter tonight."

"It's quite alright, Berwald, we understand," Arthur says, his voice small. "If you ever need any more help taking care of him, please let us know."

Berwald nods, and the couple takes their leave. Even Alfred is deadly silent, which is not a common thing for him.

Berwald carries Peter out of the hospital, placing him in the backseat of the car. On the ride home, Peter is asleep almost immediately.

...

The next few days, Peter stays home from school. Life is generally average around the house, but it is strikingly obvious that something (someone) is missing.

Along with being generally uninteresting, the days are very quiet. Berwald mainly works, and Peter keeps to himself, the worry eating at him.

Peter heads downstairs one day, only to find Berwald moving frantically around the kitchen. He has a rag in one hand, and he is wiping down the surfaces as quickly as he can.

Peter has noticed this frantic behavior popping up recently, mainly about three days after Tino falling into a coma. Berwald rushes around, seemingly having piled more on his plate than he can handle.

"Papa?"

Berwald spins around. "Hmm? What is it, Peter? Is something wrong?"

"You seemed stressed... Is everything okay?"

"I'm okay, Peter, I'm just trying to keep everything running smoothly."

"You're stressing out, papa..."

Berwald knows Peter is right, but admitting it would probably worry him more.

"I'm fine, Peter. Please, don't worry."

"Papa, I know when you aren't telling me the truth, we already established that."

Berwald sighs, dropping the rag. "I am stressed. Very stressed. But please don't worry too much, it'll be okay."

"Papa..."

Berwald looks at the gentle, yet worried, face of his son, he feels the need to be honest.

"I'm stressed without Tino... We're a pair. We work together to do things, and without him... I'm lost." Berwald says, his voice seemingly even, but concealing his fear and discontent. "Without him, I don't think I'm a very good parent, either... He's so good at being a dad, and I rely on him so heavily."

Peter frowns, shaking his head. "But you're a great dad!"

Berwald smiles slightly. "Thank you, Peter, but-"

"No, I mean it! You are a really great parent, you do everything for me. You keep me safe, you play games with me, you make food for me. You're doing great, papa."

Berwald's heart melts. He never thought he was that good at being a parent, especially not all by himself...

Berwald moves to where Peter is standing, and crouches down in front of him. He pulls Peter into his arms, kissing his forehead. "Thank you, Peter... You mean the world to me, honestly."

Peter doesn't respond, but he hugs back as tightly as he can.

...

Peter missed four days of school, but the next Monday, he returns.

He has trouble keeping focused, but he manages to hide it well. Even Ella doesn't seem to notice anything wrong with him during first and second period.

In third period, however, he let's his mind wander too far.

As the teacher continues to talk on and on about world history, Peter is thinking. He tried to keep his daydreaming to a minimum before, because of how bad they can get when he is worried, but he lost track of himself and finds his mind drifting away.

Without meaning to, he pictures a day where his papa will get the terrible call from the hospital. They will tell him the news, "Tino has passed away," and the color will drain from Berwald's face. He will get Peter from school, only barely holding in his pain, and they will go to the hospital to find Tino being zipped up in a big black bag.

Peter's head snaps up, shaking his head to try and clear that thought away. He feels cold panic rising up inside of him, and he needs to leave.

He raises his hand. "May I please use the restroom?"

The teacher stops speaking for a moment."Yes, Peter, go ahead."

Peter nods his thanks and nearly bolts out of the door. He jogs down the hallway, despite the rules about only walking.

As he runs, Ella comes around the corner. "Hey, Peter-" she starts to greet him, but realizes his distress. She reaches out and grabs his arms as he runs by, stopping him in his tracks.

"Ella, I need to go."

"Where? What's wrong, Peter?"

"Bathroom, please, I need to..."

"See, Peter, if you weren't sweating with fear and nearly hyperventilating, I wouldn't be worried."

"Ella, please..."

"Fine, if you're insistent on being the the bathroom, let's go,"

Ella turns the corner and pulls Peter into the boys bathroom.

"You can't be in here..." Peter says.

"Don't care. Now, Peter... Please tell me what's going on... Did something happen to Tino?"

Peter nods sullenly. "He slipped into a coma... Nobody knows when he is going to wake up... I'm just afraid he won't wake up at all."

Ella's face falls. "Oh, Peter..."

Peters breathing remains heavy and a bit labored. Ella realizes she needs to do something.

"Hey, Peter? Hey, can I do anything to help you relax...? You're hyperventilating, you might hurt yourself."

Peter can't even force out his words. He feels chilly fear burning inside of him, as his brain keeps forcing him to imagine pictures of his daddy being shoved into a body bag. He chokes on his breath, and he feels totally out of control. The images keep coming, and he can't stop them, no matter how hard he tries.

Ella reaches for his hand and squeezes it tightly. "It'll be okay, Peter, I promise. You can do this, you can be strong, I know you can."

Peter squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the images. He forces himself to replace them with images of Berwald and Tino standing together with smiles on their faces, or images of Tino or Berwald hugging him, protecting him...

Peters breaths slow. He feels the panic washing away, but the distress is still there.

He tries to keep it in, as he always does, but the tears come out anyway. They aren't intense, but the tears brimming his eyes and rolling down his cheeks are very clear.

Ella puts her arms around Peter and pulls him closer, hugging him loosely, hoping it will help.

Peter rests his head against Ella's shoulder, his tears falling silently for a few minutes. Ella tries to sooth him, rubbing and patting his back, just like her mother would when she cried.

Eventually, Peter is completely silent. He looks up at Ella, and she is relieved to see that his tears are drying on his face.

They stand in silence for a minute, while Peter takes a few deep breaths to relax completely. After a moment, he looks at Ella and smiles a real smile. "Thank you, Ella... It's so great having someone that is here for me when I need it."

"It's no problem at all, Peter. I'll always try to be here for you. Anything I can do to help, I'll do it."

"You're a great friend, Ella, do you know that?" Peter smiles lightly.

"I guess I do now." Ella grins.

* * *

A/N: The scene at the start with Berwald and Peter comforting each other was better in planning... I'm not sure if I was able to portray the emotions very well (or at least as well as I had hoped), but I hope you still liked it!

I don't really have much else to say about this chapter... Oddly enough.

Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this story, thanks so much for reading, and thanks for all of the reviews/favorites/follows!

-KayDubs


	7. Chapter 7

Three weeks pass with no change in Tino's condition.

Berwald and Peter try to keep life as normal as possible. Berwald has to get used to not kissing Tino when he gets home from work, and Peter has to ignore the pang of hurt from not seeing Tino at the door to greet him when the bus drops him off after school. Even Hanatamago is beginning to miss him too, as she still mopes by the door in the morning around her usual walk time with Tino, even though Berwald now walks her at night.

One Saturday, Berwald and Peter are finally relaxing, after a long week of school and work.

The phone rings.

Berwald gets up to answer it, and Peter's heart leaps into his throat. Were his nightmares and panicked daydreams coming true...?

Peter can't bear to look at Berwald's face, for fear of having to see the moment where every ounce of color drains away from his face.

Berwald's voice is even and unreadable, so Peter can't understand what is happening. He does, in fact, notice Berwald is speaking to a doctor, but he is mostly listening, not having to say much.

Berwald thanks the doctor and hangs up the phone. He returns to the living room, and Peter looks up at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Peter, Tino woke up."

Peters eyes widen even further, but out of pleasant disbelief.

"He... He did?!"

Berwald cracks a smile. "Yeah. He's fine, he's awake... He's not going to die." It almost sounds as if Berwald is reassuring himself as well as Peter.

Peter jumps up from the couch. "Are we going to go se him now?"

Berwald nods, walking almost as fast as Peter as they head for the car.

...

It is a pleasant change to see Tino sitting up in the bed, as opposed to laying limply, when Peter and Berwald enter his room.

Peter notices a smile on Berwald's face that he hasn't been able to see in a long time.

As the two approach Tino's bedside, Peter realizes how much he missed seeing Tino smiling down at him.

Berwald leans down and lays a long kiss on Tino's forehead. Tino reaches up, placing his hand on Berwald's cheek and letting his long fingers brush his husband's skin.

Peter is amazed by the connection they have. Without even saying a word, Peter can clearly see the love that his parents share.

As Tino's hand falls away, and he turns to look at Peter. Tino reaches out for Peter's hand, taking it gently and holding it, having missed the contact.

"Daddy..." Peter says, his voice wavering slightly, despite the smile on his face. "I've missed you... I'm so glad you're okay..."

"Peter, honey, I've missed you too... Though I do suppose I've been asleep for most of it..." Tino murmurs.

Peter is about to speak, but he is interrupted by the door opening. A doctor walks in, nodding to himself as he sees Berwald.

He approaches Berwald and shakes his hand. "Nice to see you again, ," the man says. "We've checked over 's vitals, and everything is going just fine. In the following months, he is going to need some physical therapy to help with his knee, along with the lack of walking he has been doing the past few weeks. Other than that, he is very healthy. He will be able to leave the hospital in about two days."

Berwald thanks the doctor, and the man takes his leave. Berwald turns to Tino, resting his hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Will you be able to hold out for two days? I'm sure you're tired of this place."

"I'm very tired of it, but I'll manage," Tino says with a smile.

...

When Peter returns to school, it is written all over his face that he is no longer sullen and upset. He had a perpetual smile on throughout the day, and Ella finally comments on it during second period.

"I haven't seen you this happy in so long, Peter! What happened?" Ella asks, a warm smile on her face.

"My dad woke up. He's going to be totally fine, once he gets some physical therapy!"

"Oh, Peter, that's great-" Ella starts, only to be cut off by a hand falling heavily on to the table that she and Peter are sitting at.

A boy stands in front of them, a sneer pasted onto his face.

"Your dad? Which one?" The boy taunts. "How can you possibly like living with your _dads_ rather than _normal_ parents like the rest of us?" He boy spits as he sneers out "normal."

Ella tries to stand and tell the boy off, but Peter grabs her wrist, pulling it down. He stands up himself, his nose scrunched up in anger.

"Listen to me, right now. I don't care _what_ you think about me having two dads. I am so much happier with them than with my birth parents, because if I never left them I would probably be_ dead_ by now," Peter snaps. "I will never regret being adopted by two dads, because they love me more than anyone else ever has. You can say whatever you want, but it won't change the fact that I am proud to live with my new parents. Tease me if you must, but nothing with make me wish I had your so called 'normal' parents rather than my dads!"

Peters hands are pressed into the desk, gripping at the wood with his fingers. He glares at the boy in front of him, almost challenging him to say something else.

The boy tries to hide his surprise at he outburst, but he isn't very successful. His face grows a bit pink with embarrassment, and he starts trying to sputter out something, but he can't form words. He glares at Peter before heading wordlessly for his seat in the back of the room.

Peter sits down, letting out a long, shaky sigh. Ella puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Peter, I'm so proud of you for doing that. That was amazing!" Ella says, before lowering her voice slightly. "You okay...? I know that probably wasn't easy."

Peter nods, slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay... I've just never done anything like that before..."

And Peter knows why. If he had been made fun of while living with his birth parents, or even some other random people, he wouldn't have been able to ever stand up for himself. Fortunately, he got Tino and Berwald, who have made him so much stronger. They help him grow, teaching him how to do the things he needs to do, and showing him what it's really like to be alive. Before, he was never able to truly live, for fear of being punished or ridiculed for it. Now, he is able to be himself, because Tino and Berwald raise him up, making him stronger just by caring for him and protecting him.

He can't ever thank them enough for that.

* * *

A/N: No, this is not the end! Not quite yet. I still have quite a few chapters to go, so don't you worry about the end quite yet.

I hope this gives some peace of mind to the reviewers who were afraid I was going to kill off Tino ;) I love me some angst/tragedy fics from time to time, but I don't think I could kill Tino, at least not this version of him, with his family and all. It would hurt me too much to write that!

But don't think this story is all fluff from this point on! The next chapter is pretty fluffy (or safe and not angsty at the very least), but I have another little trick up my sleeve for some later chapters ^_^

Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this story! Thanks for all of the reviews and favorites and follows!

-KayDubs


	8. Chapter 8

The day after Tino is released from the hospital, Berwald and Peter take him to his first physical therapy session.

His physical therapist is a very energetic and peppy man named Mathias. Despite his seemingly overly cheerful personality, he is a very effective physical therapist. He is patient and tolerant, and he seems to really care about the people he helps.

Berwald and Peter sit in plastic chairs agains the wall of the small physical therapy room. Peter watches intently, kicking his feet as he looks at Tino and Mathias.

"Alrighty, Tino, can you lay flat on the floor for me?" Mathias asks, sitting down on his knees next to him. Tino obliges, and Mathias nods to himself. "Now, I want you to bring your leg up, bending your knee. Tell me when you feel the stretch."

Tino nods, pulling his leg up slowly, waiting for the tug in his knee. As soon as he feels it, he winces and nods to Mathias. Mathias tells him to hold it for five seconds before relaxing it. Tino does so, and when he lowers his leg Mathias beams at him.

"Great! Okay, now we'll try to bring it a bit further."

...

Peter and Berwald watch the session for the next half hour. When the halfway point comes up, the door opens abruptly. Two more men walk in, one partially hidden behind the other.

Mathias looks up at the sound of the door opening. His face lights up as he sees the man in front.

"Lukas!" Mathias grins.

Lukas smiles softly, so small it's hardly noticeable. Mathias stands up to greet him, kissing his cheek quickly.

Mathias slings an arm around Lukas and looks around from Berwald and Peter to Tino.

"Sorry, I should introduce these two, huh?" Mathias chuckles. "This is my boyfriend, Lukas, and that's Emil, his little brother."

Emil, who still stands by the door, nods softly, giving a small wave. Lukas nods his greeting to the others.

Emil moves away from the door and sits in a chair next to Peter. Peter looks up at him cautiously, and Emil gives him a tiny smile.

Lukas heads for a chair to the left of Berwald. "Sorry to intrude, but I drive Mathias home after work, and Emil and I were near the hospital already, so we came early."

Once Emil and Lukas are seated, Mathias continues to work with Tino.

Peter tries to keep focused on Tino, but he keeps stealing glances at Emil.

"What's your name?"

Peter lifts his head, looking towards the source of the voice. It's Emil, who is looking down at him curiously.

"Peter..."

"Are you the patient's kid?"

Peter nods. "Tino, the patient, and Berwald adopted me."

Emil smiles. "I see."

"How old are you?" Peter asks. Emil looks like he could be as young as fifteen or so, but he could also be upwards of maybe twenty.

"I'm seventeen. I know, I don't look like any specific age." Emil chuckles.

...

As the session goes on, Peter and Emil get along very well. They share many interests and hobbies, and they both share the trait over generally keeping to themselves.

Peter doesn't even notice the session ending until Mathias is helping a shaky legged Tino over towards him and Berwald.

Berwald stands, pulling Tino towards him, and moving so that Tino can take his seat.

Mathias looks from Peter and Emil to Berwald and Lukas. "It seems everyone is getting along well!" Mathias says with a grin.

Lukas gets up and stands beside Mathias, moving to whisper something in his ear. Mathias listens for a moment, before nodding excitedly.

"Lukas suggested that you three come over to our place for dinner this weekend. Would you be interested?"

Berwald and Tino exchange glances of approval. "Of course, we would love to," Berwald says.

Mathias grins. "I'll text Tino the details tonight."

As Mathias goes to gather his things, Emil looks down at Peter. "Will I see you this weekend for dinner? Are you coming?"

Peter nods slowly. "Yeah..."

"Hey, don't be nervous! It'll just be your parents, Mathias and Lukas, and myself. It'll be okay, I promise."

Peter wonders how Emil picks up on his emotions so easily. Maybe they have more in common than he thought.

"Yeah, it'll be fun! I'll be there," Peter says, smiling."

Emil gives Peter a small wave as he stands up. "Great. See you then!"

As soon as Mathias, Lukas, and Emil leave, Berwald turns to look at Tino.

"Are you ready to go home, Tino?"

Tino nods, and before Berwald can even stop him, he tries to stand. His wobbly legs nearly cause him to crumple to the floor, but Berwald reaches out and steadies him, his hands on Tino's waist.

"Tino, you have to wait... You'll be able to walk soon, I promise, but for now you need someone helping you."

Tino nods softly, allowing himself to lean against Berwald. Peter goes and grabs the folded up wheelchair from against the wall and sets it up for Tino. Berwald lowers Tino into the chair slowly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder once he is seated.

Berwald wheels Tino out of the hospital, and helps him into the car, and all three of them head home.

...

The weekend arrives, and Berwald, Tino, and Peter are together on Mathias and Lukas's front porch. Berwald keeps a firm hand on one of the handles on Tino's wheelchair as they wait, very protective of him.

Lukas answers the door. "Ah, welcome, come on in."

They all nod their thanks as they enter the house. It's quite small, but it is very well decorated, in cool colors that make the place relaxing.

Lukas shows them to the dining room, where Emil is setting the table. He smiles when he sees Peter. "Hey Peter!"

Peter gives a small wave, keeping close to his parents.

Emil finishes setting up and heads for where Peter stands hidden behind Berwald's legs. He invites Peter to his room while they wait for the food to be finished.

They chat idly until Mathias shouts up the stairs. They race each other down, and as they reach the dining room, Peter has to hold his sides from laughing so hard.

The dinner goes normally. Friendly conversation is only interrupted by a slightly more rambunctious than usual Mathias, thanks to the beer that is rapidly disappearing from his glass.

When dinner is done, Peter simply sits and watches everyone. He enjoys seeing his parents so happy and social, as he rarely gets to see them interact with their friends.

Mathias only grows louder as time goes on. The other three adults are drinking as well, so they are all pretty lively, but Mathias beats them all.

Peter begins to grow nervous as the conversation grows wilder. He winces a few times as a shout erupts, or when Mathias moves his arms around too wildly.

Emil glances over at Peter just as he flinches slightly at Mathias's loud yelp.

Emil stands up and taps Peter's shoulder, motioning for him to follow. Peter nods slowly and gets up, following Emil up to his room once again.

Emil perches himself on his bed, motioning for Peter to sit beside him.

"I thought you would need a break, you looked a bit nervous down there."

Peter nods sheepishly. "I'm not good with new people, especially in groups. I know it's just you and the other two, but it still makes me uncomfortable..."

"Don't worry about it, I'm the same way."

"You are?"

"Yeah, I'm ridiculously shy around new people. The only reason I'm okay around these guys is the fact that I've lived here with my brother and Mathias for years, so I'm used to his antics," Emil says. "I'll apologize for him about that, he gets very wild and excitable when he drinks."

"It's fine, I understand, it's just a bit overwhelming."

"I know, I used to hate hanging around him, I couldn't get used to his peppiness," Emil says. "Are you ready to go back down? I promise it'll be okay."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks, Emil."

* * *

A/N: Ahh, I'm sorry this is so many days late! I was saying daily/almost daily updates for a while, but I hit a snag writing this chapter. I think it's because I introduced the other Nordics, and I'm very heavily experimenting with writing them because I haven't ever written fics for them before. I've read many DenNor fics, and as many as I can wil Emil/Iceland in them, but writing them is a bit different. I tried to do their personalities justice (though Emil might seem a bit friendlier and less introverted than usual.)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! It's a bit uneventful, I'll admit, but Peter made a new friend, at the very least! The next chapter is a lot more intense and filled with content, so be ready for that!

School starts tomorrow (I'm writing this Sunday night) so the chapters may be spread apart like this for a while, depending on the workload these first days. I'm taking only one AP class this year, but I don't know how labor intensive it is. It's AP psychology, so at least it's a topic I really enjoy!

Sorry I'm rambling! Thanks so much for all of the love I have been getting for this story! Every favorite, follow, and review I get makes my day!

Thanks for reading!

-KayDubs


	9. Chapter 9

Months pass, and summer arrives. School has let out, and Peter could not be more pleased with this fact.

On one particularly warm day, (about as warm as Finland can be expected to get), Peter lounges around the house, relaxing on one of his first vacation days.

Both Berwald and Tino have work, so Mathias has been called in to help. He lounges around as well, a cool beer in his hand.

The phone rings suddenly, bringing Mathias and Peter out of their relaxed state. Mathias springs up to answer it, resting the phone between his ear and his shoulder.

"Hello?"

Peter watches as Mathias listens to the caller. His face remains relaxed at first, but as the speaker goes on, his face contorts into confusion.

"Peter Kirkland, huh? No, can't say that I've heard that name before. Sorry."

The caller says something else, but Peter doesn't hear. Mathias hangs up the phone, glancing at a now confused Peter.

"Who was that?"

"Dunno. Some woman asking about you. Might have been a telemarketer or something, so I said I didn't know you."

"It wasn't Ella, was it?"

"That little girl that you have over sometimes? No, her voice was a lot deeper, she was an adult."

Peter nods, dropping the subject entirely.

...

Days pass, and another lazy day is being spent at home. This time, both Tino and Berwald are home, so they are both taking the chance to spend time with Peter. They are all sitting around the kitchen table, chatting idly for the first time in a while.

The doorbell interrupts them, and Peter stands up.

"I'll go get it!"

Peter makes his way to the entrance, setting his fingers to the door handle. He swings the door open towards him, and the color drains from his face.

A woman stands in front of him, but Peter sees a monster.

A grotesque, evil monster.

Her chapped lips curve up in a twisted smirk.

"Ah, Peter, just who I was looking for," She snarls out her words, her voice dry and grating.

Peter's breaths pick up, and he feels his chest tightening painfully.

It's his mother.

Cold panic seeps into his bones. He can hardly breathe, but he forces himself to slam the door, locking it as quickly as he can. He sprints into the kitchen, his feet pounding hard against the wooden floor.

Tino's head snaps up as Peter comes crashing into the kitchen, nearly collapsing on to Tino's lap. Tino scoops him up, frantically asking him what is wrong.

"M-my mom...! She's h-here!"

Tino's face goes just as pale as Peter's. He looks desperately towards Berwald, who is already standing alertly. Berwald points towards the back door, connecting the kitchen to the backyard.

"Take Peter to the police station. I'll handle his mom."

Tino nods and runs for the back door, shutting it behind him. He sprints across the yard, holding Peter tightly against him, stroking his hair.

Peter's face is hidden in Tino's shoulder as they run. Tino runs as fast as he can, weaving behind houses and heading for the city.

Luckily the city is close to the neighborhood they live in, so Tino is able to get the police station rather quickly.

He pushes the door open, making his way to the counter.

"Please, we need help." Tino pleads.

...

Tino sits in the back of the police station, Peter still clinging to him. Peter's arms wrap around Tino's neck, his fingers toying nervously with the ends of Tino's hair.

Tino feels Peter trembling slightly. His heart clenches, he only wants to help, but he is clueless as to what else he can do besides sit and hold him.

"Peter...?"

"Hmm...?"

"She won't hurt you. Not anymore..."

Peter doesn't respond. His fingers still play with the wispy ends of his hair.

"What I said on the night you had that nightmare during your first week still stands. I won't let her hurt you anymore. Berwald and I would give our lives to keep you safe, we won't allow her to cause you anymore pain."

Tino feels hot tears splattering on his shirt. Peter's lip trembles as he lets the tears fall silently. Tino can do nothing but hold him tightly, rocking him as if he were still a small child.

...

It's not until hours later, when the afternoon is rapidly being replaced by the evening, that Berwald shows up at the police station. Peter is asleep by that point, and it takes all that Tino has not to gasp when he sees Berwald.

Berwald's right eye is quickly becoming a deep, splotchy purple. Tino's hand comes up to his mouth, his eyes burning.

Berwald holds up a finger. Tino knows that means to wait until later.

Berwald sits down in a plastic chair beside Tino, holding his hand and squeezing it tightly. Berwald's eyes linger on Peter's form, curled up in the crook of Tino's arm, his head resting against Tino's shoulder. As he did when he first met Peter, he wonders how in the world anybody would want to bring him harm. Peter is practically an angel, he didn't deserve the pain he grew up with.

Peter stirs about fifteen minutes later. He blinks slowly, his eyes landing first on Tino, and then on Berwald. Said eyes go wide as they land on the splotchy coloring around his father's eye.

"She did that, didn't she...?" Peter mutters softly.

Berwald can only nod meekly.

"I'm sorry... She likes to do stuff like that, I should have warned you." Peter's voice is emotionless and drained, and his eyes have none of the beauty or shine that they usually do.

"Don't blame yourself Peter, it's not you're fault at all, don't believe that it is."

Peter doesn't even respond, he just rests his head on Tino's shoulder once again, his eyes drooping, but never shutting permanently.

Silence falls across the room, lasting for nearly half and hour, until a police officer approaches them. Tino and Berwald look alert, while Peter only looks up weakly.

"We've sent out a search team for Regina Kirkland. Until we find her, you may stay here at the station, we have cots set up in a room in the back."

Tino and Berwald thank him, and the officer turns away with a curt nod.

Tino nudges Peter gently. "Honey? Are you ready to go to bed?"

Peter nods slowly. "I guess."

Tino scoops him up, and holds him close as the three of them go to the back room. They all settle into cots, with Peter laying next to Berwald on the slightly larger one.

Peter is asleep within minutes.

Tino and Berwald exchange a glance, hoping that everything will be fixed soon. They just don't want Peter in any more pain.

* * *

A/N: Oh man, this is overdue. I thought I would be better at updating, but this took a lot longer than it should have, (even though it isn't even that long). Sorry about that. :/

I kinda lost the drive to write the end of this chapter. I don't know exactly why... It's not because I've lost interest in the story, because I definitely still love this story and how it has turned out, but I just hit a bump writing this chapter.

The next chapter is going to be... A bit more intense, I suppose. It's going to delve more into Peter's past, so of course the events that go along with that will be depicted to some extent, so it won't be as tame as some pervious chapters.

Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed this, despite it being a bit shaky (and very late!)

Thanks for reading!

-KayDubs


	10. Chapter 10

Warning: this chapter will have some depictions of abuse. If this could upset you, please avoid reading this chapter.  
-

His fingers are frozen, white and trembling. He tries to reach up to his face, wanting to cover his eyes, one of which is swollen and turning purple, but he is too much pain, he can hardly move.

The air feels heavy around him, almost like he is underwater, allowing the water to enter his lungs. He would take drowning over this any day. He takes a breath in, and his lungs burn.

He retreats further into the corner, wanting to disappear. If he could just curl into himself tighter... Maybe he could just dissipate into thin air.

He could only hope.

He hears a snap, a belt against the doorway. He flinches, despite trying to stay still. Was she still at it? Wasn't the first round enough?

Footsteps sound like thunder around him, sounding almost as if they are moving in slow motion. Each time a foot smashes against the ground, Peter wishes even harder that he could just float away.

A foot comes down right in front of him, the sound deafening. Peter wants to shut his eyes, but his eye is getting puffier by the second, making it nearly impossible to close it comfortably. He forces himself to look _her_ in the eyes, his gaze empty, pitiful, and very broken. More broken than any nine year olds gaze should ever be.

The woman- Peter refuses to refer to her as his mother- leans down slowly, bending at the waist, her face only inches from Peter's. Peter can see the tip of the gnarled belt swishing against the wooden floor, but he tries to ignore it.

The woman's breath is hot and thick as it reaches Peter's nose, and the scent of alcohol is lingering heavily. It's a smell Peter has grown up with.

She stands up straight again, glaring down at Peter with a steely gaze. A smirk tugs at her mouth, her lips curling unpleasantly, partially revealing stained, crooked teeth.

Peter doesn't have time to cover himself before he feels the hot stinging of the belt against his arms. The world starts to go blurry, his vision fogging up more and more with each burning hit. He feels the belt tip reach his chest, and eventually his neck. He feels one hit against his face, hot blood welling on his lip.

After that, the world is black.

•

Peter is suspended in air. He's floating, his mind empty of everything. He can no longer feel the welts on his chest and arms, or taste the sticky, metallic blood on his lip.

Has he finally done it? Disappeared? Did his wish come true? His wish to be free from _her_?

He thinks so, until the whiteness around him ebbs away, turning into to a dark room illuminated by glaring red and blue lights, and many beams of blinding white light. Peter blinks, finding that he is in the corner, but _she_ is gone. He tries to turn his head, but he feels the open wounds once again. The pain comes back slowly at first, but then it hits him like a ton of bricks. Peter can't hold back the yelp of pain. He falls to the side, his body curled up, his hands grappling at his pounding head.

One of the beams of white light floods into the room, and multiple sets of footsteps follow. Peter winces, he tries to will himself to curl up even tighter, but he can't.

He feels a hand on his shoulder, and the wish to disappear comes flooding back. She's back. She's back to hurt him...

Peter can't struggle when two large hands scoop him up. The hands do not belong to _her_, but Peter does not trust them. They could be bringing him back to that woman...

Peter squeezes his eyes shut, despite the pain that shoots through his right eye. He feels the familiar tug of the too-thick air, and the feeling of water entering his lungs. He coughs, wanting it all to go away. He wills the water to swallow him up, to pull him under.

And the world goes dark once more.

...

Peter snaps awake with a gasp.

Just like that day four years ago, Peter can feel the burning sensation in his lungs. He looks around quickly, desperately searching for any form of safety. He sees Berwald right beside him, sleeping soundly on his back. Peter crawls closer, gripping Berwald's shirt tightly, his face pressed into the side of his chest.

His tears are nearly silent, but they are heavy, flowing quickly and relentlessly. Peter's breathing is ragged, and despite his attempts to be quiet, Berwald stirs.

He is dazed at first, wondering what the sound is, but as soon as he sees Peter clinging to his shirt, his paternal instincts kick in.

He slowly gathers Peter into his arms, siting up slowly and allowing Peter to curl up in his lap, his back against the metal headboard of the cot. He holds Peter almost like a baby, Peter's back resting in the crook of one elbow.

For a while, Berwald let's Peter cry, allowing him to relax himself a bit on his own. When the choked back sobs die down, Berwald tilts Peter's head slowly to meet his eyes. Peter's blue eyes stand out even in the dark, little beads of salty tears in the corners.

"Peter, sweetheart, what's wrong...? Did you have another nightmare?"

Peter nods.

"She... She..." He can't force out anything else.

Berwald understands anyway.

"Peter, she won't hurt you anymore, okay? Tino and I refuse to allow her near you."

Peter can't respond, his breath is tangled in his throat. Berwald strokes his hair.

A few minutes tick by, and Peter raises his head once again, looking at Berwald gently.

"Papa?"

"Hmm? What is it, Peter?"

"How can you stand me?"

Berwald's eyebrows furrow immediately, shocked by the sudden question.

"Peter what are you talking about...?"

"How can you and Tino... How can you put up with me? You didn't have to adopt the child with the most difficult past, and you really didn't have to keep him... I just don't understand how you could care for me this long when all I do is put you through bad things like this..."

Berwald feels his heart tightening in his chest. Has Peter always felt this way...?

"Peter... We don't just 'put up' with you. We love you. We love you so much, Peter, so, so much..." Berwald says, his voice a bit shaky. "We adopted you because we knew you needed someone who would love you, and we wanted to give you that. We wanted to give you everything you deserved in life... Because you hadn't gotten it before."

"But all I've done is cause trouble... You guys could be relaxing at home if it weren't for me, and you wouldn't have a black eye, and you-"

"Peter, listen to me. You're right, if we didn't have you, we would be home, but we wouldn't be relaxing, we'd be restless and upset. We would want a child to care for, somebody that we could love, and we have that with you. You're our world, Peter, do you understand that? We love you... We'd do anything for you."

Peter falls silent for a moment. "I just... Don't think I'm worth the trouble."

"You may not think so, but we do. We love every moment of having you around, even if we are on borrowed cots in a police station. As long as we have you, it doesn't matter what is happening, or what's going wrong. We have you, and that will always be enough for us."

"I'm not used to this..." Peter murmurs.

"Used to what?"

"Kindness... Being loved..."

Berwald can find no words to respond. The most he can do is rest the top of his head against Peter's, pulling him closer and rubbing his back with a calloused hand. Peter leans into him, slowly being lulled back to sleep by Berwald's gentle breathing and soft rocking.

It's more than enough for the both of them.

* * *

A/N: I know, it's been a few weeks and it's still a somewhat short chapter. I'm sorry!

I'm getting back into the rhythm of writing this, however, so hopefully the next chapter will come out soon (I still need to complete the outlines for that chapter, though, so we'll see! I already know what I want to do, it's just a matter of writing it down in a chronological list.)

Also, future chapters won't have any more real depictions of abuse. It will be mentioned, of course, but that one scene is the only one I ever had intentions of describing.

Anyway, despite this being short, I hope you liked it.

Thanks!

-KayDubs


End file.
